About Us
At Nucleus Biologics, we are passionate about supporting the development of groundbreaking discoveries and improving the quality of life for patients. Our cell culture products and services fuel today’s therapies and tomorrow’s innovations.
At the Core of Cell Science
Cell culture media is a critical raw material used in the development of cell-based projects. As the Cell Performance Company™, we are the leading provider of custom cell growth media, tools, and technologies that support every stage of development from research through commercialization. We are committed to delivering premium products and services through a transparent, consistent, and proven supply chain that eliminates variability.
“For us to realize our mission of speeding the time from discovery to cure we must be unrelenting in the pursuit of innovation of product and process.”
Leadership Team
David Sheehan
Founder, President, and CEO
David Sheehan is the Founder, President, and CEO of Nucleus Biologics. As CEO, Dave led the development of...
David Sheehan is the Founder, President, and CEO of Nucleus Biologics. As CEO, Dave led the development of...
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David Sheehan
Founder, President, and CEO
David Sheehan is the Founder, President, and CEO of Nucleus Biologics. As CEO, Dave led the development of innovative cell culture tools to simplify and accelerate the design, customization, and ordering of cell culture media products. Today, Nucleus Biologics offers a unique portfolio of products and services that can support your innovative research from discovery to commercialization. Prior to Nucleus Biologics, Dave was COO of Volcano Corporation, a publicly held life sciences company that was sold to Philips for $1.2 billion. Previous to Volcano, Dave was the CEO of Digirad, a cardiovascular imaging company that he took public in 2004, and in leadership positions at Baxter and Haemonetics. Dave holds an MBA from The Tuck School at Dartmouth College and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
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Jody Bauer
Vice President of Operations
Dedicated to achieving profitability and delivering outstanding results, Jody Bauer has extensive working knowledge in operations, manufacturing, distribution,...
Dedicated to achieving profitability and delivering outstanding results, Jody Bauer has extensive working ...
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Jody Bauer
Vice President of Operations
Dedicated to achieving profitability and delivering outstanding results, Jody Bauer has extensive working knowledge in operations, manufacturing, distribution, supply chain, cold chain logistics, negotiations, and finance. With her combined medical and nuclear device, pharmaceutical, and transportation experience and her exceptional analytical, organizational, and team building skills, Jody has a solid understanding of the most valuable elements of successful operational strategies. Jody joined Nucleus Biologics in 2018.
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Will Ater
Chief Financial Officer
Will has over 30 years of experience in financial and business leadership roles across a diverse range of...
Will has over 30 years of experience in financial and business leadership roles across a diverse range of ...
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Will Ater
Chief Financial Officer
Will has over 30 years of experience in financial and business leadership roles across a diverse range of industries, including wireless technologies, internet of things devices, and cosmeceuticals. Prior to joining Nucleus Biologics, Will was the Senior VP of Finance and Operations for SENTE, and before that, was the CFO of LocusTraxx, leading the company to a successful acquisition exit. Will also spent 12 years at Qualcomm in various leadership roles across multiple divisions including new business development, finance lead for the successful acquisition of a business from Alcatel, and leading international finance and business operations for Qualcomm’s Omnitracs division. Will has a BS degree in accounting from Purdue University and an MBA in Finance with honors from the University of North Texas.
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Asma Ayari, Ph.D.
Research and Development Director
Prior to being the Research and Development Manager, Dr. Asma Ayari was the head of Nucleus Biologics' formulation...
Prior to being the Research and Development Manager, Dr. Asma Ayari was the head of Nucleus Biologics' for...
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Asma Ayari, Ph.D.
Research and Development Director
Prior to being the Research and Development Manager, Dr. Asma Ayari was the head of Nucleus Biologics' formulation services group. Dr. Ayari has extensive experience in media analysis, testing, and formulation for Cell and Gene Therapy. Dr. Ayari did her Ph.D. work in virology and immunology and brings a deep understanding of how complex cellular systems are affected by small changes in the chemical composition of the microenvironment. Dr. Ayari holds a M.S. in Microbiology from University of Tunis and a Ph.D. in Virology, Immunology, and Metabolism from Universite de Lille in France.
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Brad Taylor, Ph.D.
Vice President of Marketing
Dr. Brad Taylor has 17 years of experience commercializing products for scientists in both academia and industry prior...
Dr. Brad Taylor has 17 years of experience commercializing products for scientists in both academia and in...
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Brad Taylor, Ph.D.
Vice President of Marketing
Dr. Brad Taylor has 17 years of experience commercializing products for scientists in both academia and industry prior to joining Nucleus Biologics. Most recently, Dr. Taylor was the Director of Global Marketing at HemaCare, supporting the needs of the cellular therapy industry. Prior to HemaCare, Dr. Taylor spent 11 years at PerkinElmer supporting in vivo imaging platforms and has held leadership roles in technical support, product management, and marketing. Dr. Taylor holds a M.S. in Microbiology and Immunology from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center and a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and Genetics from Friedrich-Alexander University in Germany.
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Melissa Usher
Director of Quality and Regulatory
Melissa Usher is the Director of Quality and Regulatory for Nucleus Biologics. After serving as a Corpsman in...
Melissa Usher is the Director of Quality and Regulatory for Nucleus Biologics. After serving as a Corpsman...
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Melissa Usher
Director of Quality and Regulatory
Melissa Usher is the Director of Quality and Regulatory for Nucleus Biologics. After serving as a Corpsman in the U.S. Navy, Melissa spent over 18 years in pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing before joining Nucleus Biologics in 2020. She has a wide variety of experience, having worked in laboratory, individual contributor, and management roles across both Quality Control and Quality Assurance functions. Prior to joining Nucleus Biologics, Melissa spent 13 years at Biosite/Alere, where she honed specialties in stability study programs and kaizen event facilitation.
xBoard of Directors
Sarah Gentry
Chairperson of the Board
Sarah was appointed Chairperson of the Board in 2022. Currently, Sarah serves as Vice President at the Tavistock...
Sarah was appointed Chairperson of the Board in 2022. Currently, Sarah serves as Vice President at the Tavistock...
Read moreSarah Gentry
Chairperson of the Board
Sarah was appointed Chairperson of the Board in 2022. Currently, Sarah serves as Vice President at the Tavistock Group where she manages investments in the food, agriculture, health, and technology sectors. She has experience in finance, operations, investments, and marketing. Sarah holds a Bachelor of Economics and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Queensland.
xAlexandra Silverton, MD, MPH
Director
Dr. Alexandra Silverton is an assistant professor at University of Central Florida and a board-certified Internal Medicine physician....
Dr. Alexandra Silverton is an assistant professor at University of Central Florida and a board-certified Internal Medicine physician....
Read moreAlexandra Silverton, MD, MPH
Director
Dr. Alexandra Silverton is an assistant professor at University of Central Florida and a board-certified Internal Medicine physician. Dr. Silverton also serves as Medical Director for Tavistock Development Company in Lake Nona’s Health and Life Sciences cluster. Prior to joining Tavistock in 2019, Dr. Silverton worked as an assistant professor and an academic hospitalist at both Tulane University and Emory University. Dr. Silverton received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from Duke University and her MD from Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Silverton also holds a Master’s degree in Public Health from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. Dr. Silverton completed her Internal Medicine residency at New York University (NYU).
xKieran T. Gallahue
Director
Kieran was Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of CareFusion Corporation from 2011 until March 2015...
Kieran was Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of CareFusion Corporation from 2011 until March 2015...
Read moreKieran T. Gallahue
Director
Kieran was Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of CareFusion Corporation from 2011 until March 2015 when it was sold to Becton Dickinson. Previously, Kieran joined ResMed in 2003 as President and Chief Operating Officer of the Americas, was promoted to the role of President and Chief Operating Officer of ResMed Global in 2004, and Chief Executive Officer and Director in 2008. Kieran also served on the board of Volcano Corporation until 2015. Prior to 2002, Kieran held various marketing, sales, and financial positions within Nanogen, Instrumentation Laboratory, the Procter & Gamble Company, and the General Electric Company. Kieran currently sits on the board of directors of Edwards Lifesciences and Arena Pharmaceuticals. Kieran has a bachelor’s degree from the Rutgers University College of Agricultural and Biological Sciences and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
xNeil Reisman, CPA, J.D.
Director
Neil has more than 30 years of business experience with emphasis on operations, legal, tax, investments, and finance....
Neil has more than 30 years of business experience with emphasis on operations, legal, tax, investments, and finance....
Read moreNeil Reisman, CPA, J.D.
Director
Neil has more than 30 years of business experience with emphasis on operations, legal, tax, investments, and finance. Neil has worked with the biopharmaceutical industry since 2004. In addition, Neil has worked at various multinational companies, including Tavistock Group, Arthur Andersen, and Amoco Corporation. Neil received his Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and his Bachelor of Science in Accountancy from the University of Illinois.
xDavid Sheehan
Founder, President, and CEO
David Sheehan is the Founder, President, and CEO of Nucleus Biologics. Prior to Nucleus Biologics, Dave was COO...
David Sheehan is the Founder, President, and CEO of Nucleus Biologics. Prior to Nucleus Biologics, Dave was COO...
Read moreDavid Sheehan
Founder, President, and CEO
David Sheehan is the Founder, President, and CEO of Nucleus Biologics. Prior to Nucleus Biologics, Dave was COO of Volcano Corporation, a publicly held life sciences company that was sold to Philips for $1.2 B. Previous to Volcano, Dave was the CEO of Digirad, a cardiovascular imaging company that he took public in 2004, and in leadership positions at Baxter and Haemonetics. Dave holds an MBA from The Tuck School at Dartmouth College and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
xScientific advisors
Margaretta Hudson
Scientific advisor
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Margaretta Hudson
Scientific advisor
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xMeet Our Scientific Advisor
Roddy O'Connor Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor
Dr. Roddy O’Connor’s research emphasizes novel conditioning strategies and genetic approaches to confer unique metabolic attributes to CAR T cells. In collaborative research with Nucleus Biologics, Dr. O’Connor developed a customized, cGMP grade, CAR T cell culture medium for the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) clinical sector.
In a recent paper, Dr. O’Connor shared how this state-of-the-art medium formulation enhances CAR T cell potency and anti-tumor function. As medium composition can obscure metabolic responses induced by CAR co-stimulation, Dr. O’Connor recently designed a physiologic medium specifically for the Seahorse assay (Agilent Thought Leader Award).
Dr. O’Connor’s team were also the first to show how nonnative enzymes increase the resilience of CAR T cells against metabolic (lactate, hypoxia) and immune (Siglec) checkpoints in solid tumor environments. Dr. O’Connor’s expertise in T-cell metabolism has been recognized through an Award for Excellence in Immunology (AAI) and exemplified by several industry sponsored research alliances with Seahorse Bioscience, Nucleus Biologics, and Agilent. At UPenn, Dr. O’Connor’s team is now poised to translate our advances in CAR T cell metabolic fitness to target various malignancies and auto-immune diseases.
Dr. O’Connor is a highly regarded expert in CAR-T cell metabolism and has presented his findings at AAI, ASGCT, and the CAR-TCR Summit. Dr. O’Connor co-organizes the annual metabolomics symposium at UPenn and has presented several workshops as well as a webinar series with Nucleus Biologics on CAR-T cell metabolism.